CostumeStyle
COLMAN: SOPHIE MUTEVELIAN/NETFLIX. COLMAN FLORAL COAT: COURTESY OF NETFLIX. CARTER: DES WILLIE/NETFLIX. BOARDS: AMY ROBERTS (4).A
n early scene in The
Crown’s t h i rd sea son
finds Prince Philip
and Queen Elizabeth II (To b i a s
Menzies and Oliva Colman)
discussing a possible role for
Princess Margaret (Helena
Bonham-Carter) as the No. 2
in the monarchy. “It’s always
been the dazzling Windsors
and the dull ones,” comments
the prince.
As the dull and dazzling sisters
continue their rivalry into the
new season, which covers the
mid-’60s through the ’70s, the
buttoned-down Queen’s ward-
robe gets a lift. Though the
costumes never directly refer-
ence the minis, pop-art and
space-age frocks that defined
London as the epicenter of mod
culture, royal looks were ampli-
fied for both queen and princess.
Costume designer Amy Roberts
(who won a BAFTA for 2005’s The
Virgin Queen) chose structured,
modern designs with wider lapels
and ties for the men, and more
angular shapes, double-breasted
coats, and “quite neat shapes” for
the women.
The post-war color palette
for the queen is brighter, with
mint greens, Windsor blues
and pink hues playing a role in
making her look “settled into
the monarchy and her marriage
despite whatever problems they
have had,” says the designer.
The glamorous yet beleaguered
Margaret is the clear trendset-
ter. “She is like the Liz Taylor
of the family, a real pop star
in America, so we went for it,”
with a large red and white floral
ball gown for a dinner at the
Lyndon B. Johnson White House.
“Margaret has a toxicity about
her personality, so I also used
bruised purple and olive greens.”
In addition to pulling off
crowd scenes in the thousands,
including military processionals,
Robert’s team custom-made the
principals’ costumes, some 300
looks. Says Colman: “It really is
a huge team effort. The Queen
has a different outfit for almost
every scene and they’re all hand-
made. I realized I was in very
good hands.”3 “I wanted her
clothes to pop with
pinks, lilacs and soft
greens,” says Roberts
of the intensified color
palette for the Queen,
played by Olivia
Colman (center).
4 Roberts describes
the contrast between
the Queen and
Princess Margaret,
portrayed by Helena
Bonham-Carter:
“While the Queen’s
costume choices
are safe, Margaret
has that Hollywood
glamour, so I pushed
it a bit wilder and
freer.” A palette of
“bruised purple and
olive greens” signaled
a “toxicity about her
personality.”1, 2 A Queen Elizabeth mood board and
sketches by designer Amy Roberts show skirt
suits with fabric buttons in strong pastels.Outfitting Regal
Sisters on The Crown
Designer Amy Roberts took separate approaches for
Queen Elizabeth and Princess Margaret, one ‘settling into
monarchy’ and the other a glamorous ‘toxicity’
By Cathy Whitlock2341